Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-21
NORTH CAROLINA.
TIE FARMERS DISPOSED TO MAKE
MATTERS LIVELY.
The Next Conventional Fight on the
Agricultural Department-The Legis-
lature-Railroad Notes.

terday, was not large assemblage.
II is claimed that the one to be held
here the Goth instant will be more
largely attended. Colonel L. l.. Polk,
who appears TO be one of the main
springs of it, says that the plans which
the coming Convention is to specially
consider are three in number. One is
in regard TO the Department of Agricul-
ture, and the Convention will urge that
that department be placed under the
control and management of the prac-
teal farmers of the State. Another plan
is to secure the transfer of the
land-scrip fund donated to the various
States by Congress in 1862 from the
State University to an agricultural col
lege. The claim is made 10y those in
terested in the Convention that for
years the University has used this fund
and has not given particle of a9ri-
cultural instruction in return for it..
The third plan to be considered is the
abolition of the present mortgage and
lien laws, which are declared to be
frightfully burdensome upon the farm
ers. Another question which the Con
vention will discuss, and, with view to
its solution, is the excessive use of COM
mercial fertilizers. 1t is claimed that
this tends to drain the pockets of the
farmers and to make them poorer year
by year.
LEGISLATION FOR THE FARMERS.
Never before did anybody hear of so
much Legislation for the farmers as is
now talked of. The farmers have never
before, to Judge by present assertions
and actions, been the objects of much
real solicitude. This time the tables
are turned, and "our country friends "
are in favor at court. Their turn has
come by one of Times revenSes, and
the despised and ignored have become
the petted and favored. The farmers,
the backbone of North Carolina, need
real aid and hearty sympathy. They
allege that they have been too long the
prey of lawyers and commission mer-
chants, and wish to try, as other classes
have done. what virtue there is in legis
latiOn.
COOPERATIVE ACTION.
The Convention called here the Goth
instant is also to consider the question
of cooperative effort. The idea is that
the farmers shall stand together, fast
and solid, as a class. The leaders say
that all other professions, all other
classes of laborers, &c, do this, and
that they, too, must if they wish to
gain power and maintain their inhu-
ence. SO the coming Convention will
he composed strictly of farmers, and it
will prepare formal plan for cO-opera-
tive effort and for annual conventions.
The farmers say they intend to regulate
their own affairs. They appear to be
inimical to the present Department of
Agriculture as "a whole and will demand
that the man at its head be practical
farmer. From the amount of investi-
eating, &C., ordered it is impossible TO
say now what will be done with the De-
partment, but the assertion made a
month ago that it would probably be
pluned, but hardly entirely cut down,
is pretty near the fact. The Convention
yesterday was certainly not particularly
favorable to the Department, though
called to meet in concert with the Board
Of Agriculture. The old adage, that it
is very difficult to say how the cat will
Jump, has again been illustrated In
many particulars the Department has
done excellent work--in advertising the
State, in holding expositions, in oyster
and phosphate explorations, in analyses
of soils, fertilizers, &c, and i'll the i'm
migration department-the latter last,
but by no means least. The truth is
that it has become quite fashionable TO
cast stones at the Department
BUSINESS FAILURES.
The following additional assignments
are reported: q. f. Moore, Fieldsboro',
Greene county; w. |. Wooten, Castoria,
Greene county; c. p. Farmer, Speight's
Bridge, same county; Mann Il Davis,
gocers, of Elizabeth City, to G. c.
Pool
A RADICAL DEMAND.
In what is practically an anuo'incc-
ment of their demands, the Radicals,
who are just now very arrogant, say:
"The Republicans in the Legislature
intend to use every effort to have the
present odious county-government sys-
tenn repealed for the whole State. If
the bourbons will not permit this, then
the Republicans intend to try and have
the law amended, 50 as to have the cOun-
ty commissioners elected by the people.
ii this cannot be done, then the Repub-
licans intend to demand that the maSis-
trates to be elected by the Legislature
shall be elected by the people. If this
cannst be done, then the Republicans
intend to demand that one half of the ma
gistrates to be appointed at this session
shall be Republicans and Independ-
ents If this lastdemand isnot granted
there will be no appointment of magis-
trates by the present Legislature"
TRINITY COLLEGE.
The trustees of Trinity are very hope
fdl that their committee, composed of
such able men as Alspaugh, Mann, and
Gray, will be able to mature plans for
the great increase of the endowment Of
that honored and worthy college. Those
efforts ought to be rewarded. The col
lege merits aid 1t is taking the first
steps towards new life.
The trustees of the University met
to-day in the executive Office to con
slider matters relative 10 that institu-
ton.
The Board of Agriculture adjourned
to-day. 1t passed a resolution asking
the Legislature to permit the Board to
expend $4,000 yearly for the estab-
bshment and maintenance of the State
Industrial School.
An insane negro woman ut Whining
ton locked herself III room and set
herself on fire. Her injuries are crit
cal. She had been in the asylum at
Goldsboro'.
The residence of y. Plumadore, near
Asheville, was burned yesterday by an
accidental fire. The loss is $, 900. No
insurance.
In the Senate the bill to prohibit the
sale of deadly weapons in this STATE
was tabled, while that requiring private
banks and bankers TO make reports to
the State Treasurer passed.
The session of the House to-day was
prolonged. Among the bills intro
duced the chief were To amend the
charter of the South Atlantic AMI
railroad to annex IA
part of Duplin county to Sampson, and